Emerald cities: Landmarks see the light as they go green to mark the occasion
SOME of the world’s most famous landmarks are being bathed in green light to mark St Patrick’s Day.
While parades and celebrations have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ‘global greening’ initiative is going ahead with more places taking part than ever before.
A record 690 iconic landmarks in 66 countries are going green to mark the celebration of Ireland’s patron saint.
Among them will be the Sydney Opera House, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the London Eye and the famous ‘Welcome’ sign in Las Vegas.
Chicago went ahead with it’s annual tradition of dyeing it’s river green, despite city officials cancelling the event. The city’s mayor Lori Lightfoot surprised residents with the river dyed green on Saturday.
In Spain alone, more than 60 monuments “will be illuminated in emerald light” this year, from the Basque Parliament in Vitoria to the Science Museum and the Hemisferic in Valencia.
Closer to home and Galway’s Ashford Castle will see the light, as will the GPO building in Dublin city centre.
The Global Greening initiative began in 2010, when just the Sydney Opera House and the Sky Tower in Auckland took part.
Other famous sites taking part this year include Niagara Falls, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro and the Prince’s Palace of Monaco.
A host of locations will be joining in for the first time including the Oculus transit hub near the World Trade Center in New York to the village of Portmeirion in North Wales.